Flores Activated, Strasburg Works Out, And Other Notes

Jesus Flores hasn't appeared in a major league baseball game since May 9. His upper body still shows the effects of a summer-long rehab from a serious right shoulder injury. He still can't throw with enough strength to appear on the field -- at least without a bat in his hands. But despite those limitations, the Washington Nationals on Friday activated their 24-year-old catcher from the disabled list, hoping he can at least assist in a pinch-hitting role.

"He just gives us one more option to swing the bat," interim manager Jim Riggleman said.

That Flores has come even this far registers as a surprise. When Washington first detected Flores's stress fracture in late May, team officials feared he would miss the entire season. But Flores, recently cleared to resume upper-body weight lifting, has gained enough strength to swing a bat -- though "he doesn't have the arm strength to throw in a ballgame," Riggleman said.

General manager Mike Rizzo kept open the chance -- if only a slight one -- that Flores could appear defensively later in the season.

"He's catching bullpens," Rizzo said. "He's full-go to swing the bat; he's a guy that Jim can use as an emergency third catcher and a bat off the bench."

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Friday afternoon, the Nationals were still awaiting results of an MRI on Craig Stammen's elbow. Stammen, who disclosed on Wednesday that he'd been pitching for several months with elbow soreness, is unlikely to pitch again this season -- no matter the results of the test.

A 25-year-old rookie who went 4-7 with a 5.11 ERA in 19 starts, Stammen, because of innings limitations, would have been able to make only two more starts this year anyway.

Now matter the evolution of Stephen Strasburg's career, it's unlikely that the 21-year-old pitcher will ever find himself in more of a purgatory. With his first group of professional teammates already finished with their season, with his next formal team not scheduled to play until October 13, Strasburg currently finds himself in the big leagues, a visitor just passing through.

"He's really here because he's kind of at an in-between time," Riggleman said.

Friday, for the first time, Strasburg followed the routine of a big leaguer. He reported to work at Nationals Park, stashed his belongings in his own locker, and performed early afternoon conditioning drills. Just three hours before the evening's game, Strasburg, wearing his No. 37 jersey, found himself on the field with the big league pitchers, fielding choppers and tossing them to first baseman Adam Dunn.

But for Strasburg, this is all temporary. He's not on the Nationals' roster, nor will he watch games from the dugout.

He's spending a week in Washington for a simple reason: The Nationals have nowhere else to send him.

Strasburg, the No. 1 draft pick who agreed to a four-year, $15.1 million contract on August 17, began his professional career last Sunday in Viera, Fla., performing conditioning drills in preparation for pitching performances in the informal late-September Florida Instructional League and the more organized mid-October Arizona Fall League. (He'll play for the Phoenix Desert Dogs.) But this week, with the end of the Gulf Coast season, Viera emptied out -- and Strasburg lost his workout partners.

"So his teammates are gone," Riggleman said. "So rather than go home and restart, we're just bringing him here to continue his conditioning and work on the field a little bit with [pitching coach] Steve McCatty, let everybody kind of get a look at him. The only thing he's gonna get out of this is continued conditioning and preparing himself for the Instructional League."

Strasburg will also pitch in the Arizona Fall League, which begins October 13.

While Strasburg is with the Nationals, team officials are trying to minimize the attention on him, shielding him from media interviews. Strasburg, though, seemed happy to talk casually.

Rizzo said that Strasburg will remain with the team for this six-game homestand, traveling with them to Miami for a three-game series against the Marlins that begins September 11.

"Then he'll go to Instructional League from Miami," Rizzo said.

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The Nationals have decided that right-handed pitcher Josh Wilkie (2.42 ERA in 50 games with Class AAA Syracuse and Class AA Harrisburg) will be their sixth and final representative in the Arizona Fall League... The Nationals on Friday officially activated left-handed reliever Victor Garate, the 24-year-old they received from Los Angeles as the final part of the Ronnie Belliard trade. Garate, who was previously at Class AA, admitted the jump was significant. "Yes," he said. "But it's exciting."

peri, you amaze me - I can't figure out if you're a full-blown "Pollyanna" optimist; overly obsessed with the next "new" thing; ingesting chemical compounds that most of us don't have access to; or just a goofball that posts whatever the last thought was in your head.

It's probably better that I don't know - The therapy could get expensive.

Patience is a virtue with baseball, but I've just about run out ... :) Rizzo I believe needs to be more than a bit more aggressive than Bowden. It does seem like that is his nature though ... and who knows sometimes we get what we wish for.

Too bad about Maxwell, I was hoping he'd straighten things out and get going offensively. His emergence could've made it easier to trade Dukes or at least push Dukes...competition for playing time is a good thing.

"Does Maxwell not have the arm for right? His CF range would probably do well in RF.

Posted by: derwink | September 4, 2009"

Maxwell can't seem to hit? He bats right. He isn't even close to as good as Dukes. Daniel bats left. Have to see how he does in AAA. Ian Desmond might also be able to play that position. Then there's Mike Morse who hit .336 with 16 homers in AAA. Bernadina who bats left.

Yeah i'm with most of you Maxwell(not the singer) looks overmatched and he been taking way too many pitches called looking K's and his outfield defense has regressed and oh yeah Dan Uggala thanks for waking Hanley Ramierez up just in time for this series.

What's he supposed to do when they throw him four balls? Swing at them? Guy's darned whatever he does, no discipline, free swinger, can't recognize breaking pitches, and now he walks too much. Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, and Adam Dunn would take a walk when it was offered to them. Dukes made a smart play.

We as Nats fans spend a lot of mental effort hoping for the most from our bargain basement players. Let's call up JD Martin. Look how Padilla is burning up AAA ball! Let's see what Maxwell gives us. Shairon Martis is due for another shot. We have to find a place for Willie Harris in this lineup. And it goes on and on. This is all good, since it is what fans do.

In this off-season, we should improve our outlook, and bring ownership along with us. I realize they do not care about fan opinion so much, but they have to care some about their paying customers. The owners need to invest in the club, or we, the fans, will be stuck with similar hopes about marginal players next season.

If the Nats cannot invest at a level that is the median for all of MLB (like Cleveland or Toronto, which would be a 33 percent increase in team payroll) then at least the Nats could spend at a level that is the median of the bottom half of MLB in terms of team expenditures (which would bring us to Cincinnati's level, still a hefty 18 percent increase in payroll).

Why not insist on this minimal level of commitment for the Lerners? The Nats lose Nick, Kearns and Dmitri off the payroll, so with those payroll losses plus an 18 percent increase in 2010 over 2009, a payroll that is at the median of the bottom half of MLB would help a lot.

Naturally, many of us would hope for lot more than just average among the bottom half in MLB expenditures (it still sounds puny) but this minimal increase in ownership commitment would help a great deal. Rizzo seems like a talented GM, who would spend wisely on young, talented players.